Meanderings and activities of Steve and Janet and their ever growing family: 16 adults and 26 children

The Energizer Cowboys who kept things humming at the reunion

These kids know how to have fun!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Fixing up: Flowers, Firepits, and Flagstone

Last Fall I developed three new flower beds, transplanting day lilies, columbine, yarrow, marigold maximus, Russian sage, and zebra grass. I also planted about 100 bulbs in those areas east and south of the garage and along the east fence line. They are beautiful this spring, and almost everything lived through the winter, even the plants I bought in October from Four Corners Nursery. I got them for 75% off: peonies, herbs, succulents, and clemantis. Last year Anthony cleaned out the Choke cherry trees, so that section looks better too. The pansies did beautifully as well, blooming in the late fall and again this spring. I need to remember to do that in the future! The evergreens I had buried didn't root, (as seen next to garage) so I pulled those out this week and transplanted forsythia there. Steve had trimmed back the lilacs severely so it was easier to side the garage, but they are leafing out well, and we'll have beautiful bushes by next year again. I moved several heavy cement dividers to edge the south bed, and then Steve helped me haul rock from the reservoir to line the other two beds.Our next project was deciding how to develop and design the area south of our new patio, with an area for a fire pit and horse shoes. (Deciding is no small task for us!) First Steve trimmed back the Rose of Sharon, and built a new set of stairs, and then put in a raised planter where he hopes to raise some tomatoes on trellises. This also entailed downsizing the original terraced planter beds he built some years ago, and attaching a new side wall and removing the irrigation pipes. We planted our early crops there this year: radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, and some herbs.

Steve leveled the ground, which sloped quite a bit, and then we used a hose to outline the edge, though I think this hose is watering strawberries!

I was able to find a pallet of flagstone (via Blanding's 24/7 FB garage sale) out at Bert Jackson's, so that became the backbone for our pathway across the top of the garden. I finally convinced Steve to use gravel around it, though that wasn't his preference. It was a major breakthrough when he ordered a whole truckload of gravel and had it delivered to our barnyard. That was a great birthday present. I was so excited when it came, I could hardly sleep that night, anticipating all the fun of putting it in.

We bought bricks from Tri-Hurst for .62 cents each. Steve leveled the walk way, and put the edging down, meandering it across the top of the new strawberry and raspberry patch. Once he had the edging in, I put down the heavy gauge plastic, and we placed the flagstone. Then we began hauling gravel. This shows phase #1.

When we took the old green pickup out to Jacksons to get the rocks, we got it all loaded, and then it wouldn't start, so Brother Pincock was kind enough to tow us home, and there the green mean machine sat for two weeks, until we learned our lesson, and then one day it started up just fine, and Steve moved it back into the barn yard!

We were thankful again for the riding lawmower/tractor the kids got Steve when he retired, as he used it and a little dump trailer to haul the heavy rocks, as well as the gravel to our work site.

Next we tackled the fire pit. We moved in the benches to help us decide the right distance for placement. We got long joined bricks for the framework around the metal pit. (We also keep one in it when not in use, so it doesn't blow away! Hope we don't ever have a tornado, and end up with a brick in our window!) This section took longer to do, as we had to experiment with laying the flagstone in some sort of a pattern, with the larger pieces by the benches. These pieces were dang heavy and it took both of us to lift and position them

I don't know how many loads of gravel we shoveled, but we had 4 cubic yards of gravel delivered, and only have about a wheelbarrow load left. That was our weight lifting exercise for a week!

Dad bought over 125 bricks and used all but four on the edging. This is how the first two-thirds looked when we got the first big section done. I really love it, especially when I think about how trashy that corner has looked for three decades.

The last part entailed wrapping around the apple tree, and the long walk way to the chicken coop. I'm glad we did that too, as it looks much more finished and clean. I think we can better irrigate the apple tree too, as we've never gotten a good crop off of it. We put porous netting under the gravel there instead of the heavy gauge plastic. (We did get a much better crop this fall because of the increased water.) Another decorative garage sale find with a little water fountain.

One of our neighbor's cats posed by the lilacs, which have been so beautiful this spring. Love our flowering crab apple. How can a person be crabby with that in their yard?

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Visits on the Mesa

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Some of the cute grandkids at the Ririe Reunion

Mattea & Peyton color coordinated

Reunion Pioneers

Gannon is a boy on the go!

Jaxon looking for more rocks

The kids loved throwing rocks into the pond

2005 babies growing up

Hunter, Sam, Mattea, and Hailey will be in 2nd grade this fall

Ryan and his girls

Family stop at the Snake River outlook

Sam's off on another adventure

Michael and Daniel

Looking for a new adventure on the ranch

Logan and Anthony

At the top of Antelope Granary Hill

Milk Can Cowgirl, Hailey

Hinckley gets a sky view from Dad

Hinckley's walking buddy

Hinck loves his Grandpa

Matthew needs agua!

Grandpa's Buddy

So Happy to Have Ryan Lemuel Here

Born June 7, 2012 about 3:30 PM

Welcome to the Family --Lawsyn Margaret

Birthday June 25, 2012

Isabella Felice Brings Happiness

Born May 9, 2012

24th of July Celebrators

Nathan and Tammy's Cowboy Crew

Isabella's first reunion at 7 weeks old!

Chris and Pam's family 2012

Just missing CJ

Quent & Bev's Family Ready to Celebrate the 4th

We had a good visit with the Arizona gang after we got home from the reunion

When Daddy (Quent) was a little boy

Autumn and Theron's family

When Mommy was a little girl

Andrew and Amy's family

Quent and Bev's family

Enthralled by Bubbles

Brig learned new tricks at the reunion

A Mud Bath for Logan

G-r-r-r-r reat Stories by and about Grandkids

Past stories have been transferred to the next edition of Rough Rock Writers....Please send Grandma and Grandpa some more stories. These will be the perfect gifts for the next dozen or so years for any occasion! They don't need to be dusted, have no calories, and bring us a lot of joy each time we read them.

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Note from Peyton's teacher: 2/11/2012

Autumn,I really appreciate your support! Peyton is such a good girl! I saw her praying before the spelling test last week, and I thought it was so sweet! She also was the only one in that class this week that got a 10/10. Way to go, Peyton!!Thanks again for everything,Mrs. Rager7/7/2011

Travis's first real word is officially "ball" and it applies to anything round: watermelons, suction cups, and of course, balls of all shapes and sizes.

1/11/2011

This was on Autumn's FB post today: "I went into Peyton's room to wake her up this morning, before I could even say anything she popped her head out from under the blanket and said, "Actually, I need to finish my dream!"

12/5/2010

The night before traveling north for the family party I had stayed up all the night trying to render a DVD of our Mediterranean trip, but to no avail. When we arrived at Autumn's I was telling her what happened, and how tired I was, and I'm sure I looked it as well.

I'd forgotten little kids have big ears, and in the blessing that day for dinner, Peyton, added to the prayer, . . ."And bless grandma that she will Never, Never, never stay up all night again."

Anthony posted 11/19/2010 on Facebook

It's a good thing my little girl isn't sensitive yet. When Santa went to pick her up he said, "Man, she's stout!" Then she dazzled Santa even more by asking for a cactus for Christmas. I think I can afford that on a student budget, especially since Sam asked for a duck. Its nice to have kids that are easy to shop for.